Angels notes: Mike Trout still ranked best in MLB

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports The folks at ESPN decided to rank the top players in MLB for 2021, and the No. 1 choice shouldn’t be a surprise. Mike Trout was given the honor as the top player in the sport, a perch the Angels outfielder has sat atop for nearly a decade.

What’s funny is that 2020 could legitimately be considered a “down” year for Trout, who hit .281/.390/.603 with 17 home runs. He finished fifth in American League MVP voting, Trout’s lowest in his nine full seasons.

“If you can judge a player’s greatness by his worst seasons, with Trout,” wrote Bradford Doolittle, “you can see at a glance why he’s as much in a race with the likes of Babe Ruth and Willie Mays for historical…